Ball-trap.



C. A. ROLFE.

BALL TRAP.

APPLICAT'ON man JULY I2. 1915.

1,208,838. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

CHARLES A. BOLFE, F REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA.

BALL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Application filed July 12, 1916. Serial No. 108,915.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, CHAnLEs A. ROLFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Redlands, in the county of San Bernardino,

State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in BallTraps, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to devices for trapping balls and other, similarobjects of play; and relates particularly to a device which, in itsspecific preferred form, is adapted to entrap a golf all, therebyserving the purpose of a golf hole without the necessity of aving any ofits operative parts beneath the surface on which the game is played.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel form ofmeans for entrapping and holding a ball or the like without the necessitof cutting or sinking a hole 5-0 below the p aying surface.

In my game of lawn golf, for which I,

have fi'led application, Serial No. 855,374, August 6, 1914, and also inindoor or other putting courses, it is desirable to have a ball trapwhich does not necessitate the'cutting of a hole; and it is an object ofmy invention to provide a trap which may be placed on the playingsurface without mar-ring or mutilatin this surface in any way.

It is a so an object of this invention to provide a. ball trap efficientand reliable in its action, and one which will infallibly catch and holdany ball which is rolling in a true course toward the trap.

I explain preferred forms of my invention in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a. side elevation showing one form of my device as itappears in use, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail section taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is asection taken as indicated by lines 44 on Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a detailtaken as indicated by lines 5-45 on Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 6 is a Sideelevation of a slightly modified form of device, parts being broken awayfor the purpose of illustration, and Fig. 7 :is a similar view ofanother sli htl modified form.

, Irefiar first to Figs. 1 to 5, wherein I show a horizontal disk 10,preferabl spherical in contour; and around the perip ery of this disk Ihang a. plurality of pendants 11. 55 These pendants 11 han loosely fromthe disk so that, except for 51o restriction hereinafter noted, theyswing freely. The pendants are hung from the edge of the disk by meansof small wire rings or loo s 12, the pendants bein referably formed ofa. piece of wire doub ed upon itself and formed into a loop 13 engagingthe loop or ring 12. The disk 10 is mounted upon a tubular standard 15supported upon a suitable base 16, which rests upon the playing surface,as upon the lawn 17 as shown in Fig. 1. A stake or rod 18 serves to holdthe device in place and also serves as a flag stall" for the flag 19.The whole device, in this particular form, is easily vertically movableon the rod 18, so that an entrapped ball may be removed by lifting thedevice off the ball.

I employ suitable means to limit the pendants 11 to inward movement, andto prevent their outward movement. At the edge of the disk 10 I turndown a plurality of flanges 20, one directly outside each of thependants 11, so that each pendant 11 hangs against, or practicallyagainst the inner face of a flange 20. Each flange has a pair of laterallips 21 which project angularly inwardly and thus restrict the inwardswinging movement of the pendant to a field includednvithin horizontalangle such as indicated by the angle a in Fig. 5. That is, the pendantsare each restricted to inward movement toward the center of the disk andare restricted to movement in a field included within an angle which isless than a. straight angle, and approximately equal to a right angle.The pendants cannot move in a direction circumferential of the disk; butit is also true that the have a certain freedom of movement and are notrestricted to straight radial motion. The amount of freedom of movementof the pendants is determined to suit the circumstances; with the resultthat any ball which is proceeding on a true course toward the trap willbe allowed to pass into the trap by pushmg some of the pendants inwardlyand rolling under them; but the ball, when once in the trap, cannot passout, because the pendants cannot swing outwardly at any angle at which aball within the trap can strike them.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of device in which the disk 10with its pendants, etc., is mounted upon a sleeve 15 which fits more orless tightly upon the r0 18 so as to be adjustably sup orted on the rod.This arrangement provi es means for adjusting the height of the disk andthe I for balls or other ohjeets of vari- Also in Fig. 7 I have shown aHere the disk 10 is '15, which is supported on pendants ous sizes. meansof adjustment. mounted upon the sleeve mounted upon a standard 18" abase 16'.

It will he understood that although 1 explain my invention particularlyin connection with the game of golf, my device is not limited to use ina game of golf, but may be used in any other game where it is desired tohave a trap for entrappinp, and holding a spherical object.

Havingdcseribed a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. A ball trap or the like, embodying a horizontal disk and supportingmeans therefor, a plurality of pendants spaced around the edge of thedisk, and means to restrict the pendants to movement inward toward thecenter of the disk and to restrict said inward movement to a horizontalfield of amn-oxinmtely a right angle.

2 A ball trap or the like, embodying a horizontal disk, supporting meanstherefor adjustable to adjust the height of the disk above a playingsurface, a pluralit of pendants spaced around the edge 0 the disk andhanging loosely therefrom, and means to restrict the pendants tomovement inward toward the center of the disk and to restrict saidinward movement to a horizontal field of approximately a ri ht angle.

3. A b 11 trap or tie like, embodyin an elevated support, a plurality ofpend iints spaced around the support in substantially circularformation, and means to restrict the pendants toanward swinging motiontoward the center of their formation and to restrict said motion of eachpendant to a horizontal field of approximately a right angle.

- 4. A hall trap or the like, embodying a support, a plurality ofmovable members mounted on and spaced around the support insubstantially circular formation and means to restriet said members toinward motion toward the center of their formation and to restrict saidmotion of eaeh member to a horizontal lield of approximately a rightangle. whose apex at the normal position oi the member.

5. A ball trap or the like, embodying an elevated support, a pluralityof pendants spaced around the support in substantially circularformation, and means to restrict each pendant to inward swinging motionin :1 held defined by an angle of approximately ninety degrees openingin 'ardly from the normal )osition of the pendant toward the renter oithe pendantformation.

6. A ball trap or the like, embodying a support, a plurality of movablemembers mounted on and spaced around said support in substantiallycircular formation, and means to restrict each movable member to in andmotion in a field defined by an angle of approximately ninety degreesopening in wardly from the normal position of the member toward thecenter of the formation.

In witness that 1 claim the foregoing I have'hereunto subscribed my namethis 27th day of June, 1916.

CHARLES A. ROLFE.

Witnesses J. C. DUNCAN, (J. I). Roman.

